Xetonian Trades Iii: The Reapers

By J. Wayne Stillwell

In 2061 a United Galactic Treaty Organization (UGATO) science vessel, MSB-4, was two years into a five year survey mission in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Its last movement report was five months late. The arrival of the ships automated emergency distress probe at its home base squawking the code Gamma-two confirmed UGATO's worst fears. Gamma-two meant the ship had been forcibly ceased and boarded. UGATO prepared for the worst. Was this another Unitasian aggressor like Emperor Raygan, a new alien threat or space pirates? "Xetonian Trades, The Reapers", is the latest saga in a fast paced science fiction trilogy about love and war and how intelligent life, human and alien, deals with survival in a hostile universe.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781491816967

J. Wayne Stillwell

J. Wayne Stillwell is a native of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, and currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. After serving thirty-four years as a naval officer, he completed a second career as vice president for an R&D company. He is currently an independent consultant and fiction writer. He received his BS in electrical engineering from Purdue University, master’s degree in physics from the Naval Post-Graduate School, and completed the executive development program at Carnegie Mellon University. He has published articles in navy journals and authored his first science fiction book, “Xetonian Trades,” in 2003. A second edition of the same book, “Xetonian Trades I, The Seeding”; “Xetonian Trades, The Augerite Hordes”; “Xetonian Trades III, The Reapers”; his first romance novel, “Ten Months,” and a short human interest story titled “Bus 22” were published in 2013. “Xetonian Trades IV, Infinity’s Gate” was published in 2014. This book is another story about how intelligent life in the Milky Way deals with love, war, and interplanetary intrigue. He and his spouse of forty-six years, Bernadette, have two sons, John and Matthew, and four grandchildren.

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Author’s Preface

Glossary Of Terms

Chapter One

Peace Is Not Enough

Chapter Two

Deployment

Chapter Three

Perseus Trek

Chapter Four

Lost In A Cross

Chapter Five

Universal Reapers

Chapter Six

Above Ground In The Underground

Chapter Seven

Sprint To Antelya

Chapter Eight

Prelude

Chapter Nine

Preparing The Battle Space

Chapter Ten

Loneliness In A Crowd

Chapter Eleven

The New Citician

Chapter Twelve

Contact

Chapter Thirteen

Battle Of Gondor

Chapter Fourteen

Pacification

Chapter Fifteen

Death Out Of The Sun

Chapter Sixteen

Return To Normalcy

Chapter Seventeen

S-4 Conference

Chapter Eighteen

A Timeless Ark

Chapter Nineteen

Date With A Deity

Epilog

About The Author

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to those who dream of visiting new worlds and to their descendants who surely will.

AUTHOR’S PREFACE

The Xetonian Trades, the first book in a three part trilogy, was published in 2003. "Xetonian Trades I, the Seeding" is a 2nd edition of the same book and begins with the internal sun of the mega planet Unitasia about to supernova. Unitasian scientist, Hyzusius Detarius, secretly built an escape vessel for his son Kanan. He launched the ark into infinity a few days prior to the Big Bang with his son and a young girl named Nanneen on board.

After 12 billion years reestablishing viable populations of Unitarians was priority one. Kanan found two planets with environments similar to Unitasia in the Orion and Sagittarius regions of the Milky Way Galaxy; Venisha, the fourth planet in what would become known as the Xetonian solar system, and Earth. Thirty-five-thousand Earth years later the descendents of these clones were brought together by fate and technology with the highly intelligent Cantonians who evolved through natural evolution in the Portallian oceans of the outer Xetonian solar system.

The Cantonians, rebelling against generations of slavery under the paternalistic but harsh Xetonian Empire, planned to conquer Earth and claim it as their new homeland. The Xetonians hoped the people of Earth could provide biologically compatible blood products to restart their atrophied immune systems. On the verge of all-out war, Proclaimer Maxeum Zenn and the Janor Hiltner family from Xetonia; the Cantonian leader Prince Mango; and Amy Glover, a young Earth woman, conspired to save the day.

After overcoming mistrust, war and disease, Proclaimer Zenn brokered a peace treaty, titled ‘Xetonian Trade Number One’ and then chartered a security council apply named the Sagittarius Constellation Treaty Organization (SACTO). Zenn won approval of a plan to convert a large asteroid into a Mobil Science Base (MSB-1) to explore the cosmos. Book one ends with the successful completion of MSB-1’s first mission.

One of the most fascinating reports from MSB-1 was the discovery of Kanan Detarius’ escape vessel, named Progeny after his mother, in orbit around the planet S-4 in the Upsilon System. It reopened the debate over creation versus natural evolution. DNA analysis confirmed that the Detarius’ had seeded Earth and Venisha with their clones.

The second book in the trilogy, Xetonian Trades, the Augerite Hordes, was published in 2013 and begins twenty years later after a period of relative prosperity.

In the year 2042, the affordability of constructing a second mobile science base from an Ort Belt asteroid versus retrofitting the Detarius’ Progeny was SACTO’s number one budget issue. It was simply taking too long to survey the Milky Way with one ship. Progeny, mothballed in geo-stationary orbit around the planet S-4, could be converted, but the ship’s relatively small size would limit its capabilities. On the other hand, constructing additional MSB-1 class ships was considered unaffordable.

The discovery in 2043 of a small, densely packed asteroid cloud seemingly on a collision course with Earth, added some urgency to SACTO’s budget process. For centuries Earth had feared the impact of just one large asteroid. The possibility of multiple hyper velocity asteroid impacts created a state of near panic.

There was the frightening possibility that to preserve the human race, some people would need to be evacuated to S-4 and the Xetonian home planet Venisha. MSB-1 could evacuate only a fraction of Earth’s population and Proclaimer Zenn’s Xetonian battle cruisers could not reach Earth in time, the situation was dire.

SACTO soon find out that the asteroid cloud approaching Earth was in fact an invasion force. Emperor Raygan and his Augerite Hordes were about to become Earth’s newest and worst nightmare. With the Xetonian fleet in stand down around their home planet Venisha, the Augerites conquered and occupied Earth. Through bravery, technology and espionage, SACTO forces finally defeat the Augerites and liberate Earth.

Xetonian Trades III, the Reapers, the last book in the trilogy, begins with the United Galactic Treaty Organization (UGATO) continuing to explore the Milky Way with a fleet of Science ships. SACTO was renamed UGATO after the Augerite wars. Trade and technology agreements were in place and working. A formal UGATO governess structure provided policy and treaty enforcement. The rule of law replaced militancy.

In 2061 a UGATO science vessel, MSB-4, was two years into a five year survey mission. Its last movement report was five months late. The arrival of the ships automated emergency distress probe at its home base squawking the code Gamma-two confirmed their worst fears. Gamma-two meant the ship had been forcibly ceased and boarded. UGATO prepared for the worst. Was this another Unitasian aggressor like Emperor Raygan, a new alien threat or space pirates?

As in books one and two, the story you are about to read is fiction, the possibilities it suggests are not. All alien dialogs have been translated into North American English.

GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Actium—Fifth Planet in the Baycore solar system. Baycore is the end star on the long axis of a celestial cross formed by the M38 star cluster in the Auriga Constellation. Raygan named the star after his son. Actium has a forty percent sulfur gas atmosphere, is resource rich and is the home of an advanced race of aliens.

Alpha Centauri—Star complex 4.27 light years from Earth. The two largest stars, Alpha Centauri A and B, are used as a navigational outer marker and debarkation point for transits between Earth and the Xetonian solar system.

Amy Glover—Harry and Nancy Glover’s daughter and the West Virginia woman who married the Xetonian, Janor Hiltner Jr. in 2023. Her DNA saved the Xetonian people from extinction.

Andrea—Asteroid #216, the largest asteroid in the Xetonian solar system, a year around vacation retreat and a major Xetonian military base. Halomaine, the largest city, is a major mining center.

Antelya—The home planet of the Unitasian Confederation; similar in characteristics to the pre big bang planet Unitasia but much smaller in size.

Augerites—Descendants of the pre Big Bang planet Unitasia who interbreed with the indigenous population of the Augerite solar system.

Auker Kaniba—Unitasian Confederation Leader who prevented a second SACTO/Augerite war. He is the political head of the largest contingent of Unitarian’s to escape the big bang. He became the supreme commander of the United Galactic Treaty Organization (UGATO).

Bernadette Sundry—Plummersville, West Virginia waitress who became an effective spy for SACTO during the Augerite occupation of Earth but let herself become too close to the enemy. She was cleared of espionage and married her Augerite capture, Danso Hiltner.

Bi-polarium—A sophisticated alloy developed by Augerite scientists. When formed into a containment vessel and lined with negative magnetic poles, it can contain anti matter.

BP-3—Primary Cantonian Fighter Bomber. Armed with laser cannons and six air-to-ground missiles equipped with sub munitions warheads. They are powered by a plasma-jet engine for exo-atmospheric thrust and a high energy liquid chemical jet engine for exo-atmospheric boost and endo-atmospheric flight.

Bynor and Emerald Detarius—Twin children of Kanan and Nanneen Detarius, who were born, raised and educated on the Big Bang escape vessel Progeny. They seeded the planet Venisha in the Xetonian solar system and Earth with clones of themselves and established a colony they named New Unitasia on the planet S-4 in the Andromeda Upsilon Constellation.

Citician—Alien indentured servants who serve as overseers for the Gondorian Reapers.

Consumption periods—Four equally spaced mealtimes scheduled during the Xetonian day.

Crab Nebula—Supernova ruminant in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy, approximately sixty five hundred light years from Earth.

Danso Hiltner—Augerite Squad Leader who became romantically involved with Bernadette Sundry.

Decemers—Two and one-quarter Earth hours.

DSCS System—Deep Space Communication System (DSCS) used by the Unitasian Confederation. Hyper-light speed Beta particle technology that is not quite as fast as the SACTO Gwave system but its transmitters don’t require twenty acres allowing transceivers to be installed on Battle Cruisers.

Emperor Raygan—Leader of the planet Excellar and the Augerite Empire. Invaded and occupied Earth on August 16, 2043. He is now a UGATO flag officer.

Geographically Stationary Orbit (GEO)—Circular orbit position above a planets equator in which the object moves in the same direction as the planets rotation. Its orbital period equals the planets rotation period (one day) and thus appears to be motionless to a ground observer. Earth’s GEO position is 22,236 miles above the surface.

GDF—Galactic Defense Force, Xetonian national Army and Space Force.

Gondor—The home planet of one of the Unitasian groups that escaped the super nova known on Earth as the Big Bang 12 Billion years ago. Their leader is a ruthless Unitasian named Zoid. The planet has an ecosystem perfect for the Unitarians but no fossil fuels or significant ore deposits. The population of Gondor sustain themselves by exploiting their sister planet Actium and extorting resources from other peaceful planets in the Auriga Constellation.

Graciana—Daughter of the Xetonian Supreme Being and believed to be the messiah. She was sacrificed by the Supreme Being so that the Xetonian people could be saved from their sins.

Gwave—Gravity wave based system used by SACTO for deep space communications. Modulated gravity wave signals are generated using huge moving mass systems that can only be terrestrial based. Space craft therefore can carry only Gwave receivers. Two way communications is achieved by down linking to the nearest Gwave base station using giga hertz RF.

Hyzuses Detarius—He was the Unitasian version of a super Einstein, the designer and builder of Progeny and father of Kanan Detarius. He perished in the Big Bang.

JAG Officer—An attorney who is also a military officer. They report to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Judge Advocate General and support SACTO.

Janor Hiltnor Junior—Xetonian industrialist trained in medicine and an amateur astronomer. He married the Earth woman Amy Glover in 2023.

Junette—Proclaimer Maxeum Zenn’s life partner and political ally.

Kanan and Nanneen Detarius—Son and daughter-in-law of Hyzuses Detarius. They thought they were the only survivors of Unitasia until the Augerites, Unitasian Confederation and Gondorian Reapers appeared.

Klystron—Sixth planet in the Xetonian system. Most of the useable real estate is dedicated to above and below ground research and development facilities.

Low Planetary Orbit (LEO)—The orbit position around a planet just above the atmosphere requiring the least booster energy to achieve from a planet’s surface; on Earth this is 1,200 miles above the surface. Most satellites are in LEO.

Lacucka—Prince Mango’s Cantonian love interest.

Lenisha—Alien serving as a Reaper Citician that was assigned to supervise Raygan’s captured landing party.

Manassan Tri-legs—Intelligent, friendly and extremely capable non humanoids used as domestic servants by the Unitarians and Augerites.

M38—Cluster of stars in the Auriga constellation in the Perseus Arm of the Milky Way Galaxy. Approximately thirty five hundred light years from the planets Antelya and Excellar and looks like an elongated cross to Earth observers.

Master leader—UGATO rank equivalent to a full bird colonel.

N-27 Predator—Primary Xetonian fighter craft armed with neutral particle beam cannons and low yield fusion bombs. Its military operational service life was extended in the 2030’s by upgrading the avionics and weapons control software.

New Unitasia—The planet S-4 in the Upsilon Andromeda solar system, it was colonized by Kanan and Naneen Detarius.

Octomer—Eight Earth minutes.

Portallus—The Cantonian home land, eighth planet from the sun in the Xetonian solar system.

Prince Mango—Leader of the federated Cantonian tribes. Educated in the best Xetonian schools, he was groomed by the Xetonians to be an overseer of the once enslaved Cantonian colonies. His royal blood and intolerance of the Xetonian conquerors drove him to lead his people into rebellion in Earth year 1993. He and his people were freed as part of Xetonian Trade number one.

Proclaimer—Xetonian rank equivalent to flag rank in the U.S. military.

Progeny—Complex escape vessel designed and built by Hyzuses Detarius. Progeny departed Unitasia just prior to the big bang with his only son Kanan and his girlfriend Naneen aboard.

Proclaimer Mangetta Hiltner—SACTO supreme commander and Daughter of Janor Hiltner and Amy Glover.

Proclaimer Maxeum Zenn—Xetonian Commander of the GDF and a UGATO flag officer.

Reapers—Gondorian pirates who sustains themselves by taking a percentage of other planets resources using a systematic mix of extortion and nondestructive force. Like parasitic farmers, they do not destroy the land or the host; they let the exploited planets live in peace until it is time to reap a portion of the harvest. They are descendants of one of the Unitasian Big Bang escape groups.

Red Base-II—Unarmed international scientific colony on the planet Mars.

SACTO—Sagittarius Constellation Treaty Organization, it became part of UGATO in 2049.

Senior Watch Leader (SWL)—Xetonian Battle cruiser watch officer, equivalent to a U.S. Navy Officer of the Deck (OOD).

Star Reaper—Primary fighter bomber used by the Reaper military. Capable of endo/exo atmospheric flight; crewed by four men, powered by chemical engines fueled with high energy liquid jell and armed with ship to ship missiles, fusion torpedoes and a ramming spar.

Strikers—Various sized small arms used by the Augerite military. Fires anti-matter modules and short range stun projectiles.

Tremain—It is the fifth planet in the Xetonian system, twice the size of Jupiter, with a ninety percent methane gas atmosphere, no life, and gravity so strong that visiting is impossible.

Turian—The formal title for an Augerite military officer. Officers hold rank at four levels. Turian-one is the most senior rank below the emperor.

UGATO—United Galactic Treaty Organization, formed in 2049 after the SACTO/Augerite war.

UGATO Battle Cruisers—Three hundred thousand ton war ships; each cruiser can deploy nine squadrons of exo/endo atmospheric all weather fighter bombers.

UGATO One—The time ship Infinity built by UGATO to search for future threats to their security and the answers to spiritual questions related to the meaning of their existence.

Unitasia—One third of a light year in diameter, it was a singularity containing all of the matter in the cosmos arranged in a thick outer shell that surrounded a huge internal sun. Its super nova created the known universe.

Venisha—It is the fourth planet in the Xetonian solar system and homeland of the Xetonian people. The Venishian city of Meculla is believed to be the birth place of Graciana, daughter of the Xetonian Supreme being, a messiah sent in ancient times to provide salvation to the then decadent Xetonian people.

Vent Hole—Various size vents in the Unitarian planetary shell. They relieve and balance the internal pressure created from the gas and other solar particles emanating from the planet’s internal sun. Vent holes also provide power and light for cities, farming and industrial activity.

Xetonia—Largest moon of the planet Tremain; named in honor of the first Xetonian Supreme Proclaimer by Venishian explorers during the time of Graciana. The explorers hoped that Xetonia could provide desperately needed habitat to relieve overcrowding on Venisha. Their hopes were soon dashed. The long, scorching, windswept summers and short, bitter-cold winters provided an impossible environment for normal civilian inhabitation, at least on a permanent basis.

Zero Time Barrier—Velocity Barrier predicted by the Unified Field Theory beyond which time does not exist. Similar to the sound barrier and the speed of light, many felt that the zero time barrier could not be passed through. The time ship Infinity proved them wrong.

Zoid—Leader of a rogue Unitasian society on the planet Gondor known as the Reapers and a descendent of the great Pre Big Bang Unitasian leader Excellar.

Chapter One

PEACE IS NOT ENOUGH

Place: The Planet Antelya

Earth date: February 2, 2061

Intelligent life must find out what is on the other side of the mountain

In deep space there is no weather or sense of night and day. Unless you are traveling at many times the speed of light, the visible universe appears to be fixed with no up or down. Stellar gas, cryogenic temperatures, radiation and solar particles bath voyagers in a frigid soup of death that must be kept on the outside of their ships. The artificial atmospheric pressure in their vessels is the only thing that keeps blood from instantly boiling. The vacuum of space is always knocking at the door, looking for the smallest crack but it must never be allowed to enter.

There are significant radiation risks to voyagers during extended travel in deep space. Without proper shielding, the lifetime allowance of radiation for a 160 pound man can be quickly absorbed. Cosmic radiation is everywhere and cannot be avoided but solar radiation from large stars, Red Giants and supernova remnants can be minimized. They must be given a wide berth during long transits in deep space.

An unprotected ship’s crew can be debilitated by radiation sickness and high rates of cancer and cataracts within a year or less. Deep space vessels therefore are constructed with layered radiation shielding. The outer hull is a metallic sandwich made of multiple layers of heavy metal like lead, titanium or nickel and lighter metals like copper. Living and berthing compartments have additional layers twice as thick. The interior of the ship has a safe room large enough for the entire crew to occupy during severe radiation events.

In spite of the incredible danger, intelligent life persists in their pursuit of the unknown, they must, they have to, it’s irresistible, an uncontrollable need. Be it a mountain or a wall, there must be something on the other side. Sixteenth century explorers on Earth always ended up where they started because the Earth is round. This knowledge did not deter them, they simply went vertical, into the sky and then into space.

If the visible universe is a closed system and Einstein’s view of time-space is correct, chasing infinity in a straight line could easily result in voyagers returning to their original starting point in spite of their best efforts not too. In that eventuality man would simply make a right turn and move in a different direction. There is no other option, they cannot stop exploring. Infinity is hard to fathom but it is real and ensures there will always be a frontier.

The United Galactic Treaty Organization (UGATO) Security Council was convinced that if there were three groups of escapees from the Unitasian super nova, Kanan and Naneen Detarius (book one), the Augerites on the planet Excellar (Book two), and the Unitasian community on the planet Antelya (Book two), there had to be many more.

Using the combined resources of all UGATO members, a fleet of six Mobile Science ships, designated MSBs, were funded. MSB-1 already existed; it was updated and refitted while five new ships were constructed. In order to maximize operational time the ships were double crewed. Crew A deployed the ship while Crew B stayed home for training and vacation. Alternating back and forth allowed crews to have some kind of personal life beyond their jobs.

One of the biggest supporters of the science missions was Auker Kaniba, previously Commander and Chief of the Unitasian Confederation and now Proclaimer Kaniba, Supreme Commander of UGATO.

Auker was raised in a loving and financially secure upper middle class family. He was the oldest of five children and as such had to grow up fast. His father expected him to set an example for his siblings and his mother needed his help during his father’s long deployments with the Unitasian Confederation fleet.

Being the first born male, he was expected to attend the military academy and serve as either